We are very excited to announce the cutting edge innovation from b.VPN; SMOKE VPN Tunnel.

Lately, Internet freedom defenders worldwide have been concerned about VPN clients being detected and obstructed by different entities in different countries that use sophisticated forms of network packet filtering; especially DPI (Deep Packet Inspection).

In order to confront this, our dedicated team of developers has been working on a customized UDP (User Datagram Protocol) tunnel inbuilt in b.VPN applications for Windows, Mac, and Android.

What SMOKE does is that it makes sure that VPN connection cannot be identified by DPI, while maintaining connection stability and speed with dynamic changes to tunnel behaviors’. b.VPN users can now enjoy unrestricted access to open Internet without worries about being tracked down, throttled, constantly disconnected.

There are two types of blocked websites and services:

Websites and services that are available exclusively in certain countries and cannot be reached outside them; such as Hulu which is available in USA only, BBC iPlayer which is available in UK only, Spotify which is available is not available for Arab countries and others. This type is known as geo-restricted websites.

These websites can be accessed outside the countries in which they are exclusively available by simply finding a way that allows you to change your IP address. For example, if you want to access a website that is only available in USA, you need to get a USA IP address.

Websites and services that ISPs in a certain country ban, for a reason or another, by installing a filtering system. Examples include social networks, such as Facebook and Twitter which are banned in China, VoIP applications, such as Viber and WhatsApp calls which are banned in KSA.

These restrictions cause a great deal of frustration and inconvenience to Internet users. So how can you get around these restrictions and surf the web freely? What are the conventions that can be applied to open blocked websites?

There is more than just one way to get around these restrictions; including but not limited to using the IP address of the website that you would like to access instead of its URL, redirection with short URL and Google cache.

However, there are two main conventions that are known to be the most effective for opening blocked websites, are

Proxy

VPN (Virtual Private Network)

Using proxy for opening blocked sites

Proxy can be considered as filter that you install on your web browser. Proxy enables you of opening blocked sites because using proxy allows you to virtually change your geographic location by giving you a new IP address. So hypothetically if you live in Germany but you would like to access BBC iPlayer which is restricted for people who live in the UK, you can install a UK proxy on your website and this how you will be able to access BBC iPlayer.

This means that Proxy is an effective tool for accessing geo-restricted websites, but what about websites which are blocked in a certain region using filtering systems? Proxies are not reliable for this type of banned websites. Proxies might be useful for bypassing simple filters but they cannot be trusted for bypassing more sophisticated filters. They don’t do beyond changing your IP address but they give away all your other identifying data. Moreover, proxies are web-based; in other words you cannot enjoy their features while using other apps. That is why proxies are considered as a poor alternative for VPNs.

Using VPN for opening blocked websites

VPN connection is set up on an operating system. VPNs use your Internet connection to connect you to a remote computer through a highly encrypted tunnel. VPN doesn’t only change your IP address but it bluffs filtering systems and firewalls and makes your connection, and hence your online activity, untraceable. VPN will not merely help you access blocked websites but also will help you avoid hackers attacks and shields your data from data sniffers. So you will be able to use public WiFi hotspots in cafes, hotels and airports and not worrying about your data being stolen or exploited. This is why VPN is optimal when it comes to privacy and security.

That is why VPNs are not only reliable for bypassing geographic restrictions but also they are ideal for opening blocked websites even if these websites are blocked because of filtering systems. Additionally, you will be able to open any blocked application.

Why b.VPN?

b.VPN guarantees the user the following features:

TIER 4 hosted network of servers in more 25 geographic locations around the world, UK and USA servers included. Paid users have access to all servers at anytime.